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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27145022">I Can Dance and Play the Part</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeonTheDimensionalGirl/pseuds/AeonTheDimensionalGirl'>AeonTheDimensionalGirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I’ve Got You (You’re Safe Now) [21]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Era, Caring Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Chronic Pain, Consort Merlin (Merlin), Deviates From Canon, Fluffy Ending, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Married Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Whumptober 2020, Worried Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Worried George (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:53:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,513</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27145022</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AeonTheDimensionalGirl/pseuds/AeonTheDimensionalGirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Prince Consort is taken by surprise when his old wounds begin acting up in the middle of the peace talks.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>George &amp; Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I’ve Got You (You’re Safe Now) [21]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939345</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>721</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Can Dance and Play the Part</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><b>PROMPT No 21. I DON’T FEEL SO WELL</b><br/><b>Chronic Pain</b> | Hypothermia | Infection</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Merlin was lulled to wakefulness by a pair of lips making a trail of kisses from his naked shoulder to his throat while callused hands wandered around his torso and hair with a reverent touch.</p><p>The warlock hummed as a slow smile began to form on his face, turning into a chuckle when the fingers began to tickle him slightly on the side. Huffing, Merlin opened his eyes, finding Arthur’s smug face near his, sapphire eyes twinkling in mischievous delight.</p><p>“Morning, <em>cariad</em>” Arthur purred into his ear as he nuzzled the raven’s neck.</p><p>“Good morning,<em> trysor</em>” Merlin replied with a small smile of content, turning his head to capture his husband’s lips on a kiss.</p><p>Just as it began to grow more passionate, three consecutive knocks went through the door.</p><p>The spouses groaned into each other’s mouths in annoyance before separating.</p><p>“Come in!” Arthur called while the raven simply fell back onto the warm mattress, watching George come in with breakfast with idle interest.</p><p>“Good morning, my lords” the servant greeted after placing the food on the table.</p><p>“Hello, George” Merlin said while Arthur muttered “Hello” as well before getting up.</p><p>The raven took the brief opportunity to admire his husband’s naked body before he covered himself with a robe; sighing he made way to get up as well-</p><p>And promptly fell backwards towards the bed, feeling his body incredibly sore.</p><p>“Are you alright?” he heard Arthur ask with slight worry.</p><p>“I- yes” Merlin answered, feeling slightly bewildered at the sudden sensation. Perhaps it was because he and Arthur went a little too hard at it last night.</p><p>“Must have slipped” he added while George passed him his own robe, quietly thanking him before putting it on and joining his husband at the table.</p><p>“You sure? You look a little stiff” the blond noted while he picked up an apple as George began to make the bed.</p><p>“I am a little sore” Merlin admitted before giving the King a knowing look, “But there is a reason for that”</p><p>Arthur smirked.</p><p>“Indeed” he said, brows furrowing slightly as he stared at the warlock, “Are you sure, though?”</p><p>“Why? Do I have something in my face?” asked the Prince Consort with wry amusement, frowning slightly when he felt his body ache when he leaned to grab some tomatoes.</p><p>That- that never happened after their lovemaking.</p><p>“No” Arthur admitted, “But you still look stiff”</p><p>“It’ll pass” Merlin said as he waved his hand in dismissal, “It’s just the normal soreness after sex”</p><p>He’s not sure if he said it to calm himself or his husband, but it was probably nothing-</p><p>“My lords, what do you wish to wear for the talks?” George asked, distracting Merlin from his thoughts.</p><p>He’d completely managed to forget that today began the new peace talks with the near kingdoms, even if yesterday’s feast had been the one to welcome their guests from Nemeth, Mercia, Caerleon, Gawant and Essetir.</p><p>“I think the velvet doublets will do nicely” Merlin answered as he turned to the King, “What do you say?”</p><p>“Want to be in Camelot’s colors, huh?”</p><p>“Well, I am the Prince Consort” the raven replied with an eye roll, “Unless a certain prat King has forgotten so”</p><p>“Hilarious” Arthur dryly said before nodding to George, who began to take out the clothes from the cabinet and placing them on top of the changing screen for the spouses to get.</p><p>As part of a silent agreement between the servant and the ex-servant, George doesn’t dress them.</p><p>Finishing breakfast, the King and the Prince Consort quickly went to dress, Merlin occasionally helping Arthur out by soothing out wrinkles in the fabrics while the blond simply laughed lightly and in turn placed the warlock’s silver circlet upon his head.</p><p>And yet, strangely, despite the comfortable sensation of the rich silk tunic on his skin and the warm velvet, Merlin couldn’t shake off the sudden feeling of discomfort in his body, making him frown.</p><p>Perhaps he should pay Gaius a visit-</p><p>“Merlin?” a hand was being waved in front of his face, Arthur looking bemused, “You in there?”</p><p>The raven blinked back into focus.</p><p>“Yes” he said, giving his husband a nervous smile, “Just- thinking about the talks” he added before nodding towards the door, “Shall we?”</p><p>Arthur gave him one last look of concern before nodding to himself and offering his arm for the warlock to take, who gladly did so as they exited the room, ready to face the day.</p>
<hr/><p>The talks were filled with tension.</p><p>Camelot had individual peace treaties with the kingdoms, yes; but Arthur really wished for every kingdom to get along so Albion could be well united and safe against Morgana’s threat, who’d been strangely quiet for the last year.</p><p>And yet it seemed that everyone had woken up on the wrong side of the bed today; Merlin has lost count how many times King Lot and King Bayard have been close to challenging each other to a duel, both men snipping past wars and tensions between their kingdoms; Queen Elena and Princess Mithian were trying to settle an agreement on to block the horrible past trade treaty that had gone between their fathers years ago that had cost Gawant and Nemeth coin, but at least <em>they</em> were doing so calmly. Meanwhile, Queen Annis and Arthur looked like they was about to stab both of the Kings to keep them quiet.</p><p>Merlin, who could still feel his body uncomfortably sore and had been listening with grown fatigue at the discussion, could now feel a headache coming when the snipping turned to magic.</p><p>“-Uther at least had a point with the magic ban” Lot was saying, “It kept everyone under control”</p><p>“You call people living in fear of their lives a good form of control?” Merlin asked coolly. Gods, he hated Cenred’s successor, “Or fear of being put in chains?”</p><p>“They could try a coup with magic!” Lot claimed, “The slaves are a precaution”</p><p>Merlin resisted the urge to turn him into a pig.</p><p>“If the people are planning a coup against their King then they must not be happy with his rule” Elena pointed out, taking the words out of Merlin’s mouth. He sent her a grateful look and she responded with a little smile.</p><p>Next to the Prince Consort, Arthur hid a snort as they witnessed Lot turn purple.</p><p>“What’s the excuse for that one, Lot?” Bayard asked with a triumphant glint in his eye.</p><p>With a growl, the King of Essetir turned to look at Merlin with outrage.</p><p>“I don’t see why you’re all siding with the whore” he sneered.</p><p>Oh yes, there was the headache, the Prince Consort thought as he simply raised an eyebrow to hide his own outrage.</p><p>“Pardon me? I call you out on your tyrant ways and in turn you call me a whore?” he said in a low voice at the same time he placed a hand on Arthur’s knee to calm him down. The last thing they needed was a duel in the name of Merlin’s honor, “Oh yes, you’re quite the mature King, Lot”</p><p>When he finished speaking, the headache had grown stronger, and to make things worse he began feeling a small throb on his body amid the soreness-</p><p>“Besides” Annis’s slightly amused voice brought him back, “You’re only mad that Prince Merlin has pointed out your unjust laws”</p><p>Another small sting distracted him again from fully listening. It’d come from where he’d been stabbed with a poisoned blade years ago by a bandit-</p><p>“Bold words coming from the woman whose kingdom also had slavery-”</p><p>Furrowing his brow, Merlin went to put pressure onto the old scar, fearing for a moment that perhaps he’d been stabbed again-</p><p>“You know fully well Queen Annis abolished those laws with the death of her husband, Lot-”</p><p>When the ache returned again, this time it felt like a shock.</p><p>A too familiar shock that his scars sometimes gave him-</p><p>Breath hitching with horror, Merlin realized a little too late what was happening.</p><p>The soreness hadn’t been from sexual activities last night, and the fatigue wasn’t from the endless arguing, it’d been-</p><p>Another burning, this time in his chest, left Merlin feeling breathless.</p><p>Chronic pain.</p><p>From all the worst, possible moments-!</p><p>“Lot’s trying to distract us from his problem in which that he’s afraid that if lifts the magic slavery laws, the people will take arms against him” Bayard pointed out.</p><p>“Well, of course that’s my problem-!” Lot exclaimed while Merlin raised his goblet with trembling hands for George to fill.</p><p>Drinking water would serve as a good distraction for himself from spiraling into panic, it had to-</p><p>“Lord Merlin?” George quietly called as he refilled his cup, “Is everything alright?”</p><p>No, he wanted to shout, but looking at the still arguing nobles-</p><p>The talks- he can’t risk the talks-</p><p> “-They’ll try to get someone like him on my throne” Lot kept on saying before pointing at Merlin, who resisted the urge to jinx him while shifting in discomfort while he drank his water.</p><p>“Yes” Merlin answered George lowly as he leaned into the edge of the table and put down his drink and intertwined his own hands, trying to regain his breathing as discreetly as he could manage.</p><p>“George, could you please repeat what’s left of today’s schedule?” he quietly asked in an attempt to distract himself from the aching and trying to pay attention the new batch of arguing that had sprouted on the round table.</p><p>“Queen Elena, Queen Annis and Princess Mithian have requested for you and the King to attend lunch with them-”</p><p>“Aha-”</p><p>Breathe in, breathe out-</p><p>Were Arthur and Mithian politely telling the King of Essetir to fuck himself?</p><p>“-King Bayard and King Lot have announced they wish to eat in their own chambers-”</p><p>The pain did not lessen.</p><p>Merlin swallowed.</p><p>Annis was suggesting a break-</p><p>“-At the end of the talks, the entourage of Knights from all kingdoms will be participating in friendly spars-”</p><p>Another bolt of pain shot through Merlin’s body, this time coming from where the serket had stung him, and he had to bite his lip to avoid gasping.</p><p>“-And two of your apprentices, Deagal and Luned, have requested if they can join in the sparring”</p><p>“Didn’t I give them permission yesterday?” Merlin inquired, trying to force his voice to sound calm but being fairly certain that it came as a squeak, “I’m certain I did”</p><p>“They wanted to be sure, my lord” George answered, seemingly oblivious to the warlock’s state of discomfort, “Shall I send a page to them confirming your consent?”</p><p>Merlin nodded jerkily, afraid that his voice would give away his pain this time.</p><p>Just when he was thinking about excusing himself for a moment, just to run towards Gaius’s chambers and ask for his usual tonic for the chronic pain, the lunch break was called.</p><p>The Prince Consort closed his eyes in slight relief as the men exited the chambers while still bickering and the women rose gracefully to walk toward the dinning chambers.</p><p>Swallowing, he began to carefully get up, forcing himself to walk slowly.</p><p>“Well, that was fun” his husband muttered while he too got up and approached Merlin, frowning as they locked eyes, “Are you hot?”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“You look clammy” Arthur noted with worry.</p><p>“You also drunk a lot of water, my lord” George added with some concern in his voice, “Are you feeling under the weather?”</p><p> “I-” Merlin didn’t want to lie to his husband nor their manservant, but he also didn’t want to worry anyone-</p><p>Not really a lie, not really the truth.</p><p>“I’m a little fatigued” the raven said at the same time he had to get a grip on a window pane when another bolt went through him, hurting enough to make his vision swim. He gritted his teeth.</p><p>“C-Come on” Merlin said, not turning to look at Arthur and George, “We’re expected for lun-”</p><p>The world went dark for a moment.</p><p>His head exploded in pain at the same time a familiar burning in his body became unleashed.</p><p>If Merlin screamed, it went unheard by the sudden ringing in his ears.</p><p>When he came back onto himself, the warlock found himself in the King's arms, face close to his and looking panicked while George had a wet rag pressed to his brow.</p><p>“Merlin?”</p><p>Huh, George had never called him by his name ever since his engagement-</p><p>“Merlin?”</p><p>It was Arthur this time, his husband caressing his cheek and wiping away tears (when did he began to cry?) to ground him.</p><p>“I-I’m alright” Merlin weakly said.</p><p>“<em>Mer</em>lin, you idiot!” Arthur exclaimed with near hysteria, “You’ve been looking unwell for a while and you just fell unconscious! You’re not alright!” he cupped the raven’s chin, “What’s wrong?”</p><p>Merlin felt more tears gather on his eyes. He opened his mouth to tell his husband-</p><p>Another burning pain, this time from the serket sting and the stab wound immediately cut him off; instead, the Prince Consort cried out in agony.</p><p>“Merlin?!”</p><p>“T-The- my- sc-scars-” he managed to say between heavy pants.</p><p>Through half-lidded eyes, he saw Arthur’s eyes widen with realization.</p><p>“Which one?” asked his husband with worry, having seen Merlin suffer through chronic pain episodes in the past; the blond himself sometimes got them too via the Questing Beast’s bite, “<em>Cariad</em>, which one?</p><p>“A- All of t-them” Merlin answered with a faint voice, “The w-worst ones”</p><p>The King swore at the same time another bolt of pain went through the warlock’s body, and Merlin closed his eyes and gasped, curling further into his love’s arms.</p><p>“George” he heard Arthur call, “Go get Gaius, tell him to meet us in our chambers, and send a page to inform our guests that Prince Merlin won’t be attending lunch and the rest of today’s activities”</p><p>“But-” Merlin struggled to open his eyes again, fisting Arthur’s tunic, “But- the talks-”</p><p>“Won’t go anywhere” his husband soothed. But the raven was still restless.</p><p>“I- I have to be there-” he protested.</p><p>“When you’re better, yes” Arthur whispered, “But right now you’re in no condition to be present in the meetings” he added before sliding an arm under Merlin’s legs to pick him up, “Why didn’t you say anything?”</p><p>Merlin looked away.</p><p>“I-I didn’t want to risk the talks” he mumbled, feeling his face heat as he heard Arthur sigh.</p><p>“Merlin, your health is more important than the talks” the blond chided softly, “I thought you knew that”</p><p>“I do” the raven said, closing his eyes as he tried to block a new burning sensation on his spine, “But- this is my first participation in a peace talks since our wedding” he admitted, “I wanted t-to make a good impression”</p><p>“And you did” he could hear Arthur’s smile, “They all think highly of you-”</p><p>“I think Lot would be happy to put my head on a spike” the warlock managed to mumble with a little grin.</p><p>“… A good amount of the foreign official’s think highly of you” his husband amended, “You didn’t have to suffer in silence as you did before” he felt a kiss being placed on his sweaty forehead.</p><p>“I’m sorry” Merlin whispered in shame, opening his eyes again to stare at the King.</p><p>“Don’t apologize” Arthur soothed before sighing again, “You’re not the only one who likes to hide their pain, remember when we went looking for your father?”</p><p>“You nearly gave me a heart condition” the raven murmured, wanting nothing more but surrender to the fatigue and the pain but sleep avoided him.</p><p>With a tired sigh, and choosing to focus on his magic trying to ease the aching in his body, Merlin closed his eyes.</p>
<hr/><p>Gaius was already waiting in their chambers with George upon their arrival.</p><p>“Oh my boy” the physician said as Arthur placed Merlin on the bed, “You should have come to me when you began experiencing the symptoms” he gently scolded as the blond began taking the raven’s boots off and George placed a new wet rag on his brow.</p><p>“I-I didn’t recognized them until it was too late” Merlin weakly admitted while he managed to command a spell to take off his current clothes off himself, favoring his nightclothes. The royal regalia appeared next to George, who quickly went to put them in the washing basket.</p><p>“And then he decided to be a clotpole and pretend everything was fine” Arthur ratted him out while he removed the silver circlet off the raven’s head.</p><p>Merlin simply mouthed <em>‘Prat’ </em>at his husband, too tired and achy to claim that that was <em>his</em> word.</p><p>Gaius, in turn, gave the Prince Consort the Eyebrow of Doom™.</p><p>The warlock would have repeated his excuse, if not for the new wave of pain that went through his body. Gasping a moan, Merlin curled onto himself, sinking his fingernails through the sleep tunic in an attempt to distract himself from the ache.</p><p>Faintly, he was aware of Arthur rubbing at his upper arm and back in an attempt to comfort him, but the pain was winning by a milestone.</p><p>When the throbbing stopped for the moment, Merlin saw two small glass bottles swinging in his life of vision.</p><p>“For the pain and for sleeping” Gaius said as the Prince Consort shakily took the tonics, nearly dropping them when his vision began to swim again.</p><p>He felt Arthur’s gentle hands taking them off his, followed by the distant sound of a cork popping out before a glass bottle was pressed onto his lips for him to drink.</p><p>Merlin did so with effort, accepting another cup of water from George when he drank both tonics.</p><p>Silently, the three men helped the raven get comfortable as they waited for the medicine to take effect. George closed the drapes and banked the hearth while Gaius place another wet rag around Merlin’s neck.</p><p>“As much as I want to spend the rest of the day by your side looking after you” Arthur began to say with regret as he tucked the warlock into bed, “I can’t miss the rest of the talks”</p><p>“I was going to kick you if you even dared to miss them” Merlin mumbled, adding with a wry smile, “Even if the thought of you staying all day by my side is quite tempting”</p><p>The King laughed lightly.</p><p>“I’ll ask Guinevere to attend the rest of the talks with me, and I’ll come back after it’s over” his husband informed him, placing a kiss on the back of the warlock’s hand.</p><p>“You won’t see the sparring?” Merlin croaked, the pain and the tonics beginning to take effect, his magic helping by humming lightly under his skin in comfort.</p><p>“Leon can fill me into what happens. I’d rather spend the rest of the evening by your side” the blond said, smiling softly.</p><p>“Thank you” Merlin whispered as his eyes began to fall close.</p><p>The last thing he was aware of before succumbing to the medicine was Arthur kissing his brow.</p>
<hr/><p>A familiar pair of fingers carting through his hair pulls Merlin out of slumber.</p><p>“Arthur” he sighed while he stared at his husband through half open eyes at the same time the fingers began to part away his raven locks from his clammy forehead.</p><p><em>“Fy warlock”</em> Arthur whispered as he sat next to him, “How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Like Kilgharrah stepped on me alongside a grown Aithusa, followed by all the horses trampling me; followed then by Gwaine making me drink an entire barrel of mead” Merlin mumbled with tiredness, “But thankfully I’ve felt no more bursts of pain”</p><p>“That’s good” his husband said with a small smile.</p><p>“How did it go?” Merlin asked with curiosity.</p><p>“Well, everyone except for Lot sends their regards” Arthur began to say with wry amusement, “Oh! And before I came here I caught Leon and Percival holding Gwaine back from bursting into our chambers to come see you; not because they didn’t want you to have visits, but because he insisted to have a… magical cure for your pain”</p><p>Merlin squinted.</p><p>“… Was it ale?”</p><p>“Yes”</p><p>The raven snorted.</p><p>“Bless them for stopping him”</p><p>“Indeed” the blond laughed as he took off his boots and slipping into bed and taking the raven back into his arms.</p><p>Merlin sighed in the embrace, feeling slightly better in his love’s hold.</p><p>“I feel like I should apologize again” the warlock confessed.</p><p>“And I will tell you that you don’t have to” the King said, cupping his cheek as he stared at him, sapphire eyes bright, “What I do suppose we have to do is stop trying to hide pain from one another”</p><p>“Fair point there” the Prince Consort mumbled with a small smile. His husband chuckled before nuzzling his neck, kissing a nearly healed love bite.</p><p>“I love you” Merlin whispered as he felt his eyes starting to close once again.</p><p>“I love you too” Arthur murmured back, before giving him a small peck on his brow, nose and finally kissing his lips.</p><p>Together, they fell into slumber.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><em>Cariad</em> = Welsh for 'Love'</p><p><em>Trysor</em> = Welsh for 'Treasure'</p><p><em>Fy warlock</em> = Welsh for 'My warlock'</p><p>I learned that stress can make chronic pain worse! The overall stress that one feels while having chronic pain can cause more pain because the nervous system is activated, which leads to muscle tension.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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